Corporate website as a tool for attracting and recruiting ...
EMI, Vol. 8, Issue 1, 2016
ISSN: 1804-1299 (Print), 1805-353X (Online)
emijournal.cz
CORPORATE WEBSITE AS A TOOL FOR ATTRACTING AND
RECRUITING MILLENNIAL TALENT
Dana Egerov¨¢
University of West Bohemia, Faculty of Economics, Czech republic
egerova@kpm.zcu.cz
Abstract:
In recent years, the use of corporate websites to recruit potential job applicants has increased steadily.
It is also evident that company websites are considered as one of the major tools for attracting and
selecting Millennial generation. Despite this trend, the empirical research on the use of corporate websites
for recruitment processes is still limited. The paper reports the findings from the survey focused on
evaluation of 116 company websites with the aim to better understand how these companies use their
own web space for recruiting and selection of potential job applicants, specifically talented Millennials.
18 items broken down into three sections were used for evaluation of corporate websites. On the one
hand, the findings of the study show that most companies provide explicit organisational related
information and available information regarding job characteristics. On the other hand, the findings
highlight that most companies do not communicate elements regarding their culture and do not provide
content specifically targeting college or university candidates. Moreover, only a minority of companies
in this survey uses social media as a part of their recruitment efforts. The practical implications of the
survey results are discussed. This survey may provide guidance for the future research and practice in the
area of company recruitment website design.
Key words:
Recruiting, attracting, corporate websites, job seeker, Millennial talent
JEL Classification: M12, M15, L62
1
Introduction
In the current global, dynamic and uncertain business environment the talent has become one of
the key factors of organisational success. It has become also obvious that companies face the war for
talents and human resource professionals are under increasing pressure to attract, develop and retain
talents to meet current and future organisational needs. Thus, finding and retaining talented employees
have become more critical for most of the companies worldwide.
Today, an increasing role in retaining talent has played technology. Technology advancement has
caused shifts in the practice of talent management acquisition process and will continue to do so. The
current trends point that the Internet has emerged as a growing and high-potential recruitment medium
for recruiting and selecting employees (Cober et al., 2004b). The Internet provides companies and human
resources professionals with a tool to convey a large amount of information about the company to job
seeker. Among the many e-recruiting methods company websites are considered one of the best tool for
recruiting potential applicants and an important means by which job-seeker initially gather information
about future employers (Williamson et al., 2010b). We argue, that the starting point to attract new talent,
specifically talented Millennials should be its own corporate website and the attached career site.
The growing significance of corporate websites in the field of talent recruitment is proved by many
surveys (Llopis, Gonzales and Gasco, 2010; Mauer and Cook, 2011; CIPD, 2015). To compare with other
e-recruiting methods and forms such as job boards, specialized job sites, etc. organisational recruitment
17
EMI, Vol. 8, Issue 1, 2016
ISSN: 1804-1299 (Print), 1805-353X (Online)
emijournal.cz
websites are less costly and can exchange more information about both employee and the employer.
They allow companies not only to offer prospective applicants job descriptions and other information about
the company but they also allow to integrate features such as images, sound, video and animations
(Cober et al. 2004b; Braddy, Meade and Kroustalis, 2006). Generally, the company websites offer a more
dynamic a rich platform, more instant and personal communication and more informational design options
for employee recruitment to compare with other e-recruiting methods. In the end they give companies
greater opportunity to provide content that matters to job seekers (Cober, Brown and Levy, 2004a).
Despite the growing popularity of the company recruitment websites the empirical research on this
topic is relatively still limited. Thus, the present study aims to contribute to the research on this area.
Specifically, the study explores the extent to which companies use their own websites for attracting and
recruiting potential employees, specifically Millennial talents.
The structure of the paper is as follows. First, a brief literature review about the surveyed subject
is provided. Then, the scope and methodology of the study is explained. Next, the results are presented
and discussed. The paper concludes with a summary and discussion of main findings and the study¡®s
limitations.
2
Literature review
2.1
Company recruitment websites and the content
Surveys show that companies more and more have utilized websites that are primarily dedicated
to communicating recruitment information to job seekers (Cober et al. 2004b). It is also evident that
corporate websites play a central role in terms of providing a variety of information about a company to
job seeker which can be communicated in a different ways such as text, images, interactive links etc.
(Allen et al., 2012).
The effective company communication via corporate website is regarded as a crucial determinant
of a company's ability to successfully attract qualified applicants (Cappelli, 2001, Williamson, Lepak, and
King, 2003a). The importance of recruitment communication is specifically evident in the early stages
of the recruitment process, when applicants are involved in a series of decisions about their future
employer. From the potential applicant point of view the early stages of recruitment can be viewed as
a form of information search whereby an applicant gathers information to build a mental representation of
what it would be like to work in a given company (Allen et al., 2012).
An explanatory framework for why a corporate website and career websites affect an applicant¡¯s
perception of the organisation provides signalling theory (Spence, 1974). According to this theory, when
job seekers do not have complete and accurate information about the organisation, or is uncertain about
the vacant position, they typically draw inferences from observable attributes, using available information
as signals about the organisation (Zamparini, Calegari and Lurati, 2010). Thus, organisation needs to
take care about information provided on their corporate websites.
The vital factors of the first reaction and subsequence attitudes of applicants, both towards
organisation and vacant position are the content and the appearance of a corporate websites and
communication features (Cober et al., 2004b). According to these authors the recruitment website
effectiveness is influenced by the design of the websites and by the manner in which the information is
displayed. Also evidence from recruitment literature suggest that website content such as organisational
and job-related information and website stylistic features can enhance the job seekers fit perception
and attraction to the organisation (Chen,Ch-Ch, Lin and Chen, Ch-M, 2012). Similarly, Roberson, Collins
and Oreg (2005) suggest that the individual's application intention is affected by the content of recruitment
messages.
According to Chen, Ch-Ch, Lin and Chen and Ch-M (2012) the most important design factor is the
amount and type of information provided. Thus, applicant? perception of the company and his intention
to apply for vacancy is influenced by the quantity and quality of information. Findings of studies indicate
a positive relationship between the amount of content in recruitment materials and attraction to an
18
EMI, Vol. 8, Issue 1, 2016
ISSN: 1804-1299 (Print), 1805-353X (Online)
emijournal.cz
employer. In addition to the quantity of content (information) an important role in determining job seeker
interest in employment pursuing plays the type of content. Several other studies also showed that
providing explicit or detailed recruitment information effects more applicants¡¯ intentions to seek
employment with company to compare with general or vague information (Roberson, Collins and Oreg,
2005).
Furthermore, Allen et al. (2012) argue that clear and comprehensive information about job
opportunities and the company are more important than design characteristics or detailed information
about other company characteristics. According to many authors (Roberson, Collins and Oreg, 2005;
Cober, Brown and Levy, 2004a) content related to organisational goals, mission statements, culture and
values, training and career development, benefits and employment opportunity have received a great
attention in job-seeker evaluations of an employment opportunity. Thus, corporate and career websites
should include and communicate the right amount of real, authentic and relevant information.
2.2
Company recruitment websites and the target recruitment communication
The ability to target and attract different applicant groups explicitly is one of the mportant benefits
of corporate websites. There are some research studies suggesting that targeted messages have
a positive effect on applicant perceptions of the company and job vacancy (Cober, Brown and Levy,
2004a). Thus, clearly defined target job applicants and knowing their behaviour, motivation and job
product knowledge should be a useful starting point for the company to design websites. In addition,
different target groups/generations have different expectations and may look for different things when
considering an employer. These are important predictors of applicants interesting in a job. (Eger, Egerov¨¢
and Mi?¨ªk, 2015). For this reason, company websites need to provide relevant message content,
vividness, and interactivity required to effect different targeted job applicants (Mauer, Liu, 2007).
As the Millennials (born between 1980 and 2000) enter the workforce and their role in the workplace
has increased significantly, more and more organisations concerned about attracting this generation
group. It is assumed that by 2020, Millennials will form 50 % of the global workforce (PwC, 2011). It is
evident that Millennials will be a powerful generation of workers and that to attract the talented Millennials
will be critical for the future success of the companies.
There is widespread agreement that this generation have their own set of values, attitudes and
different expectations to work and workplace compared to the previous generations. According to many
surveys the most important factors to this generation are opportunities for development and career
progression, strong organisational culture and good reputation (PwC, 2011; Eger, Egerov¨¢ a Mi?¨ªk, 2015).
Furthermore, they prefer communicate electronically than face-to-face, want to work for companies that
have vision, seek meaningful work, personal fulfilment and work-life balance (Park and Cursoy, 2012).
The studies also show that Millennials rely strongly on online resources and build personal relationships
through social media. Therefore, if companies want to attract Millennials and specifically Millennial talent
they must consider their specific characteristics, wants and needs when creating corporate websites and
when communicate with this generation.
3
Methodology
The present study focused on evaluation of company websites with the aim to better understand
how companies use their own websites to retain potential employees specifically Millennial talents.
More specifically, the study provides the answers to the following research questions:
1. To what extend companies provide organisational related information to the job seeker on their
websites?
2. To what extend companies provide job related information to the job seeker on their websites?
3. How companies communicate with potential applicants with an emphasis on social media
communication?
19
EMI, Vol. 8, Issue 1, 2016
ISSN: 1804-1299 (Print), 1805-353X (Online)
emijournal.cz
3.1
Research method and tool
As a research method and instrument for data gathering we used ?unobtrusive measures¡°.
Unobtrusive measures are data collection techniques that involve the use of non-reactive resources,
so that information is obtained without the subject¡¯s prior knowledge. (Miller, Brewer, 2003). According to
Gray (2009) unobtrusive measures can offer flexible, creative and imaginative way of collecting data.
The data were analysed and accessed using heuristic analysis which are used in internet marketing, in our
survey specifically focused on corporate websites and career websites.
Drawing from literature and surveys on corporate websites with the focus on online recruitment
communication and talent management (Williamson, Lepak and King, 2003a; Llopis, Gonzales and
Gasco, 2010; PwC, 2011; Jobvite, 2013) 18 items broken down into three sections were used for
evaluation of the corporate websites. Section one was devoted to general organisational information from
corporate websites and included the following six items information about organisation, mission and goals,
product portfolio, organisational culture (values), corporate social responsibility and currency of web sites.
Section two assessed the websites with the focus on job offer including the following seven items link to
career websites, job description, job requirement, possible benefits associated with a given job
opportunity, opportunities for college/university candidates, opportunities for training and personal
development and link to the contact person or human resource department. Section three was focused
on communication and interaction and included five following items ability to provide rapid answer and
immediate feedback, possibility to create a personal profile, links to social and professional media,
organisational profile on Facebook and Linkedin and currency of social network on social media.
All items were rated on a dichotomous yes-no basis by two independent experts. Key websites
were in accordance with early mentioned methodology archived. Once assessment was completed,
the experts met to compare findings and reconcile discrepancies.
The survey was carried out in June 2015 followed by outputs control in July 2015.
3.2
Sample
We conducted a study of the websites of the 116 companies. Four companies did not have
employment websites and were excluded from survey. Companies for this study were selected randomly.
They represent the companies that are members of Automotive Industry Association (AIA). The AIA is an
industrial association of the Czech manufacturers of vehicles, suppliers and other companies and
institutions involved in the Czech automotive industry. The aim of this Association is to develop the
automotive industry as a specific manufacturing sector. We chose this companies because of their
importance in the Czech economy. The automotive industry belongs to the most important sectors in the
Czech Republic (CR) and represents one of the traditional drivers of the Czech national economy.
Enterprises associated in the AIA participated by 21,3% on total industrial output of the CR and by 20,1%
on total export in 2014. The total number of employees within AIA members in 2014 was 112 877
employees (AutoSAP, 2015). The important reason for choosing given companies were also declared
problems with retaining talented employees within this industry.
4
Results and discussion
In this part that follows we report and discuss findings for the given sections and items.
4.1
Section 1 ¨C Essential company attributes
In this section we evaluated six items. The results are presented in Table 1. To evaluate item
Company general information (e.g. revenues, number of employees, locations etc.) the more emphasis
was played on the comprehensiveness and ¡°richness¡± of information provided on websites such as about
20
EMI, Vol. 8, Issue 1, 2016
ISSN: 1804-1299 (Print), 1805-353X (Online)
emijournal.cz
us, about company etc. For evaluation the item Vision, mission, goals were used both websites provided
explicitly information about organizational vision, mission and goals and also company documents
referred to these issues if they were expressed in visible form. To asses the item Production portfolio the
emphasis was put mainly on the presence of actual information about company¡¯s production. Referring
to the items Organisational culture and corporate social responsibility we assessed the amount of
information related to the organisational culture and corporate social responsibility. Concerning the item
Currency of websites we evaluated whether the information, sources and links are current and working.
Tab. 1 Section 1
Outputs of evaluation of websites related to essential organisational attributes
Company
general
information
Items
Frequency
%
111
99.1
Vision,
mission,
goals
Company¡¯s
production portfolio
65
58
Corporate
culture.
(values)
112
100
54
48.2
Corporate
Currency of
social
websites
responsibility
61
54.5
98
87.5
N - total
number of
companies
112
100
Source: Own
As can be seen in Table 1 all surveyed companies provided information about production portfolio
on their websites. The findings nevertheless show that the quality of these information varied quite widely
among the companies. Referring to the item Company general information all companies except one
included essential information about the company on their websites. In terms of website currency,
a significant majority of the companies (87.5 %) had updated websites and the content including links was
current and working. Findings show that 54.5 % of the companies displayed information explicitly referring
interest in implementing corporate social responsibility activities and 58 % of them provided information
related to their vision, mission and goals on their websites. A lower percentage of companies provided
job seekers with information concerning corporate culture (48.2 %). This finding we consider as negative
especially to the fact that individuals seek for companies with corporate cultures that matches their own
beliefs, attitudes and values (De Goede, Van Vianen and Klehe, 2011). Thus, the more information about
corporate culture is available the more attractive the company is for job-seeker. This implies that
companies need to pay close attention to communicate their culture relevant information.
4.2
Section 2 ¨C Job related attributes
In this section we assessed seven items. The results are presented in Table 2. The item Link to
career site was rated yes if there was link to career site and the career site exists. Referring to the items
Job description and Job requirement we evaluate the presence of essential information regarding these
areas. To asses the item Benefits the emphasis was put mainly on the content of information. It was
difficult to assess this item due to information were being fragmented in different sections and parts of
corporate websites. To asses the items Opportunities for college/university candidates (e.g. offer
internships, mentorships programmes etc.) and Opportunities for training and development the emphasis
was put mainly on the presence of actual and available information. Similarly to the previous item, there
were occurred difficulties to assess these items due the fragmentation of related information on corporate
websites. The item Link to contact person career site was rated yes if the company websites contained
visible link to the contact person or human resource department.
21
................
................
In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.
To fulfill the demand for quickly locating and searching documents.
It is intelligent file search solution for home and business.
Related searches
- corporate website vs marketing website
- make a resume for free and download
- life as a corporate attorney
- a word for good and bad
- the role of culture in teaching and learning of english as a foreign language
- a word for more and more
- amazon corporate website investor relations
- another for word for as a result
- coding tool for colonoscopy screening and diagnostic
- strength and weakness as a writer
- amazon corporate website for employees
- corporate website design